Pionites - Caiques
The brightly-colored Caique (pronounced kye-eek).is endemic to the Amazon Rainforest of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela, and the Guiana highlands, where they can be found in the canopies of forested areas. Their natural diet consists mainly of fruits and seeds.
Description
The average length of an adult caique is 23 cm or 9 inches in length. They weight around 150 to 175 grams or 5.3 - 6.2 oz.
The Caiques are very distinctive and beautiful in appearance. They are often referred to as the "Seven-Color Parrot" because of their highly defined black, green, yellow, orange, white and blue feathers.
The two major species are the Black-headed Caique (Pionites melanocephala) and the White-bellied Caique (Pionites leucogaster), both of which are endemic to South America.
Caique wing feathers produce a distinctive flapping sound in flight.
Species and subspecies
- Black-headed Parrot, Pionites melanocephala. There are two subspecies, with birds between them intermediate in color:
- Black-headed Caique (P. m. melanocephala). East and south of range.
- Orange legs and undertail, nape (lower back of the neck) deep orange, belly white.
- Pallid Parrot/Caique (P. m. pallidus). West and north of range.
- As Black-headed Caique, except all orange plumage replaced with yellow. Breast and abdomen whitish.
- Black-headed Caique (P. m. melanocephala). East and south of range.
- White-bellied Caique, Pionites leucogaster, has an orange-yellow head, a white belly, green wings and back, bluish primary feathers, a horn-colored beak, and pink or grey feet. There are three subspecies:
- White-bellied Caique, also known as Green Thighed Parrot (Pionites leucogaster leucogaster).
- Yellow Thighed (P. l. xanthomeria).
- Yellow Tailed (P. l. xanthrus).
There is little difference in personality between the two species, so which to choose is often decided by price and availability. Typically, the White-bellied Caiques are more expensive than the Black-headed Caiques -- largely because the latter is more common. Prices can range from $500 to $1500, depending on source and area of the country. Buying directly from a breeder will be cheaper than purchasing a caique at your local pet store. Below you will find breeders listed.
Caiques as Pets - Personality Traits
Care and Feeding:
- General Info on Housing your bird / Fun & Safe Toys
- Purchasing or Adopting your Companion or Aviary Birds
- Optimal nutrition to keep your bird healthy
- Caring for your companion bird
Taxonomy:
Class: Aves ... Order: Psittaciformes ... Family: Psittacidae ... Subfamily: Psittacinae
Genus: Scientific: Pionites ... English: White-bellied Caiques ... Dutch: Witbuikpapegaaien ... German: Weißbauchpapageien ... French: Caïque ... CITES II: Endangered Species
Sub-species:
White-breasted Caiques: Please see White-bellied Caiques
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